• Ghana and Russia have signed a visa waiver agreement covering diplomatic and service passport holders.

• The deal is the first visa waiver agreement between the two countries since diplomatic relations began in 1958.

• Ghana says negotiations will continue to secure enhanced travel privileges for other categories of travellers.

Ghana and Russia have signed a visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and service passports, which is the first of such an agreement between the two countries since they established diplomatic relations in 1958.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa announced the agreement on the first day of his three-day official visit to Russia at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

The agreement will ease travel for Ghanaian and Russian officials holding diplomatic and service passports and is expected to support closer government-to-government engagement.

Ablakwa said Ghana and Russia would continue negotiations on enhanced privileges for all categories of travellers as both countries seek to expand trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges.

The agreement comes with Accra and Moscow seeking to deepen their longstanding relationship. Ghana and the Russian Federation established diplomatic relations on January 14, 1958, and the two countries have since cooperated in areas including education, energy, agriculture, science and technology.

This agreement comes against the backdrop of efforts by the Ghanaian government to expand visa-free travel opportunities for its citizens. 

Ablakwa also used the bilateral talks to thank Russia for supporting Ghana’s initiative at the United Nations on the history and legacy of the transatlantic slave trade.

The UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on March 25, 2026, with 123 countries voting in favour, three against and 52 abstaining. The resolution was led by Ghana to declare slavery as “the gravest crime against humanity.”

Ghana has since continued consultations on how to advance reparatory justice following the UN vote, including a high-level conference held in Accra in June 2026.

However, the agreement does not amount to a general visa-free arrangement. It specifically covers diplomatic and service passport holders, while negotiations on broader travel privileges are still ongoing.